UPDATE: 10/19/2026: You don’t often get an alternative purchase option when searching for a classic, but that is the case with this 1973 Pontiac Grand Am. It remains listed on Craigslist, as mentioned below, and the price is unchanged. However, the seller has hedged their bets by putting it up for auction. That raises the tantalizing prospect that the bidding might pass the reserve at a lower figure than the Craigslist asking price. If that happens, someone might save themselves a few dollars, which is never bad. You can find the Grand Am listed here on eBay in Laguna Beach, California, where bidding sits below the reserve at $1,000. Our own Russ Glantz spotted this beauty for auction, offering a tantalizing purchase option.
10/03/2026: The Grand Am was introduced on the new GM Colonnade A-body platform in 1973. It was a cross between the Pontiac Grand Prix and Trans Am. Nearly 80% of first-year sales were for the 2-door coupe rather than the 4-door sedan. Because the only engines offered were quite thirsty 400 or 455 cubic inches V8s, sales were curtailed by the 1973 OPEC oil embargo. This ’73 example is a nice survivor with 32,000 miles and original paint. Located in Laguna Beach, California, the luxury muscle car is available here on Craigslist for $17,500.
The Grand Am was developed in response to the growing popularity of imported European sedans like those from Mercedes and BMW. Under the skin, it rode on the A-body platform that also carried the mid-size LeMans. Of 43,000 Grand Ams built in 1973, 34,000 were coupes like the seller’s car. The car was discontinued in 1975 because sales were less than impressive, but it returned in a different format in 1978 and stuck around in one form or another through 2005.
The 400 CI V8 was standard, with a 4-barrel optional as in this vehicle. Most came with the TH-400 automatic transmission, as the 4-speed manual wasn’t a big mover. The seller says a Grand Am played an important role in the John Wayne cop movie, McQ, though I don’t remember it as such. Before the seller, this was a one-owner Pontiac that seems to have been decently cared for.
The Pontiac’s interior is tidy and equipped with bucket seats, a console, air conditioning, power windows, a tilt wheel, and an AM/FM radio. The driver’s seat shows some wear and a split, but the remaining vinyl looks clean and in good shape. The dashpad has a developing crack, and the seller confirms that the A/C is inoperative.
Though the overall car’s dark green paint is original, we’re told the plastic/rubber snoot has been redone. The water pump, timing chain, some brakes, and the tires are new. The interior is in decent shape for the age, with a couple of tears, a crack in the dash pad, and so forth. This isn’t a perfect car by any means, but you should be able to drive it home if you fly in to scoop it up. Thanks for the original tip, Barn Finder Barney!
If you have the itch for a first year GM Colonnade, this is probably the one you want…
Great engine pictures. I wonder how people manage that, since it’s so difficult opening the hood.
I remember John Wayne driving a Trans Am in McQ.
He drove a 1973 Pontiac Firebird “Trans Am.”
In the rare Brewster green color!!! Poor car.
’73 is my favorite year Grand Am. What is a real suprise is that you could get a 4 door with a 4 speed!!! That has got to be an incredibly rare find. This one looks phenomenal. They always say buy the best one you can find……. I think this one could very well be it.
In 1980 I had the opportunity to buy a 4 door 4 spd from my uncle’s next door neighbor for $800.00 I doubt if this part I’ll mention was factory but if so, it was extremely rare. There was a proper hole in the hood and it had a functional Trans Am Shaker hood scoop. Absolutely perfect color match to the quite unattractive shade of green the car was. It would have looked fantastic in the shade of green this is. I was 19 and decided to pass because of the ugly shade of green and the long cracks in the windshield. Did not ring my bell. It sure would now though despite the ugly shade of green 😆
Would have been interesting to see.
My favourite Pontiac of them all(being a malaise era teen) The front end just made me want one so bad in the 70’s..LOL
Me too and I wanted it in green I was just out of my teens
See, now I really like ones like this. Not very common, incredibly sexy car overall. Price isn’t bad either if maybe a hair too high given that for a couple grand invested you can really make this pristine.
My first muscle car was a black ’73 Grand Am with a 4 speed and red leather interior. I loved that car – wish I had it back
In 1977 I bought a 1975 Grand Am same as this car except the tail lights were vertical mine was black with dark red interior with buckets and center console.Was a great car went on a lot of trips with that car best riding car on the highway and really quiet. Over the years i have had more then a few Pontiac’s and enjoyed that Grand Am the most.
What engine pics?!!!
Open up the red Craigslist link in the first paragraph…
On the Craigslist ad. Clink on the link in 1st paragraph. 🤔🙄
do you have any idea what one of these hoods weigh. how about an eldorado hood or a 70’s grand prix hood. with all the hoods mentioned you could build a couple toyota prius’s
Just out of curiosity I’d like to know how the second owner came upon this car and if he has pictures of its original condition. Its certainly been detailed to the Nth degree but none of this would make a difference – here’s the money and it’s off to Florida feeling like I’m on cloud 9!
Winner, Winner! Chicken dinner!
looks decent for the money if it is what the seller claims. i have seen sellers asking 40k + for these. need to fix the a/c though. color fits the car w/ the stripe.
32K original miles and they did a timing chain ? Please enlighten me.
From the listing: “400 4 barrel, dual exhaust, 15″ rallys, new fluids, new single stage painted nose with original emblems, water pump and housing, timing chain/gear since we were there and tires, master cylinder as well. Brand new A/C Delco battery.”
an original Pontiac timing chain has nylon teeth that get brittle and break off and go into the oil pan then get sucked into the oil pump screen then jump time and bend push rods. very wise to have done it due to age. best if a true roller chain was installed. i just finished a 68 400 poncho that this happened to. they put a chain but went no further. i tore it down and found the 6 bent push rods and all the plastic in the pan and the screen. 67k mile motor. that why they do it!
Pontiac stopped the nylon upper gear by 1972. I’ve owned 3 1973 Grand Am’s, all 400-4 barrel engines. All 3 had steel upper gears from the factory.
mark – Olds kept the nylon covered teeth well into the ’80s – possibly to the end of V8 production. Interesting that Pontiac used something different (unless it had the 403!).
If I remember correctly, the last Pontiac engine to use the plastic/nylon/aluminum cam gear was 1971. Our shop mechanics used to fight over who got to do the repair during their lunch hour. They had modified some of the factory tools and procedures so the job could be done in about an hour. (I think warranty time payed 5 hours. ) I know it could bend valves and pushrods. But never saw one do it. We had a T-37 LeManns 4 Speed come in under warranty with 50 miles left of the coverage. That a connecting rod failed. ( I still remember the part number for 400 connecting rods because it was the “weak link” .When the rod came apart it made a huge mess in the oil pan. Including snapping off the oil pump. We knew what the owner was doing, which would have negated the warranty. But before the car (and tow truck) hit the service drive we had a call from the district office to honor the warranty.
When you do a water pump you are 60% on your way to a timing chain. Some of the same bolts removed for the water pump are the same as the timing cover. Once you remove the water pump you may find some corrosion on the aluminum timing cover. So best to change it out. Only a few more bolts and the harmonic balancer to remove at that point. ALSO it’s possible that one of the long bolts that retain the water pump and the timing cover broke. Same issue on small block Fords with “some age” on them. In fact the Pontiac system ( water pump, timing cover, fuel pump) and small block Ford are very close in presentation)
zen was being sarcastic it would have been nice to show the engine basically the star of the show
The seller’s C/L ad copy is worth the read.
My brother in law had exact same car but honeycone wheels , 455 auto hauled a$$. Drove like my ‘72 Monte . This is a pretty one :) . And nice price too !
So it not “THE EXACT SAME CAR”.. similar maybe. I cannot understand why folks say “the exact same car , except for”
The seller is referencing the color was the same as John Wayne’s Firebird, a one year color, not that John Wayne drove a Grand Am.
You are correct John Wayne drove a brewster green 1973 Trans Am very rare color only mad I think about 150 or so that color that year for the Trans Am.
Outstanding car for sub $20k !
Why are people crying about the engine pictures. This isn’t a Hemi Cuda or ram air Pontiac. Its a 73 Pontiac engine, nothing special. I’d be way more concerned about the undercarriage and rust in the body panels, thats where the money pit is in these things, not the engine. Notorious for rust. Looks clean from the few photos, and if so, the buyer is 95 percent there on a very nice car.
No one-quarter vinyl roof is a plus…
on C/L and eBay. looks like he is looking for 17,500.00. good luck.
I worked at a Pontiac store when these came out. I was notva fan of the “new Colonade” body style. But I liked these for their ride and handling. Also got to drive 455s and 4 speed cars. I member the “woodgrain” instrument applique would keep warping and peeling off of these and the Grand Prix. 3 and 4 times for the same customers until GM figured out what was wrong. I still have a fondness for these cars but a general dislike for the Colonade body style. (Go figure)